Technology

Technology is the fastest growing industry in the world. The reason for technology being so important is because it has a huge spectrum of uses and purposes. Exploring these uses and purposes is a required task for us to complete. Learning the uses and purposes of technology will give one a better understanding of why technology is important. Technology makes life in today’s society much more convenient and expedient. The fact that technology is used by almost everyone is extraordinary. It makes sense to explore this topic further and learn more about what is inevitably going to change your life.
Technology: What is it?
Technology is the term that is sometimes used to include all the skills and tools people acquire for their convenience in their lives. The United Nations Education, Social and Cultural Organization, defines technology as: "The know-how and creative processes that may assist people to utilize tools, resources and systems to solve problems and to enhance control over the natural and man made environment in an endeavor to improve the human condition." (UNESCO, 1985).
In ancient times, technology was defined by Homer and Hesiod as the spoken word of manual craft or cunning skill. By 330 BC, Aristotle created the Greek term technologia and split scientific knowledge into three parts: theoretical science, practical science, and productive science (Backer, 2005). Technology advancements started to take place in 8000 b.c.
How is technology important? Technology is definitely one of the most important aspects of today’s society. Technology is almost an absolute must for most people. Technology has become very popular because of the convenience and easiness that it imposes in one’s life. Due to the high demand of more technological advancements, scientists, creators, and inventors are further inspired to make improvements almost constantly to make society’s life easier. These facts conclude that as a society, we would not be able to live our lives without technology.
Different Types of Technology Technology is usually broken down into its different types. If one wanted to be technical, there can be endless types of technology. In this writing there will be 5 main types of technology, which include but are not limited to: administrative, assistive, medical, entertainment, and information technologies.
Administrative technology is anything that is used to support administrative functions such as fax machines and copiers. Administrative technology has enabled the business world to flourish and excel with speed and accuracy. Assistive technology may seem like the same thing as administrative technology, but it is different because assisted technology refers to technology that assists individuals with disabilities, supporting them to perform tasks or activities that would normally be difficult or impossible. Medical technology is any intervention that may be used to help health, to prevent, diagnose or treat disease or for rehabilitation or long-term care. This includes the pharmaceuticals, devices, procedures and organizational systems used in health care. Information technology refers to the hardware and software that are used to store information. This basically means computers.

History of Technology
Technology has been around for thousands of years. Exploring the history of technology will give us a better understanding of why technology is important and allow us to have a greater respect for what technology has done. Since technology has done so much for culture and society it is essential to learn some of its history. The history behind technology can be imprecise and vague because of the vast array of different types of technology. When one tries to look up the history of technology whether it is through books or the Internet, he or she might find disappointment in what they might find. The history behind this technology phenomenon is dependent on the type of technology in which is being researched.
Who is responsible for the first technological advancements and what were they? Among some of the first people to start using technology were the people of the Stone Age. During the Stone Age, humans lived a lifestyle, which involved limited use of tools. Major technological advancements at this time were were made for survival, hunting, and food preparation in the harsh environments. Stone tools, weapons, and clothing were technological progresses of key importance during this time. Our earliest ancestors (the Mesopotamians) began fulfilling their wants and requirements by creating more technology. Gatherers and hunters progressively became farmers. The sickle, the hoe, and the plow were then created to simplify the process of planting. This is commonly referred to as the Agricultural Era. The Agricultural Era brought people together and enabled them to set up camp at more permanent places. They created communities focused on farming and tamed cattle for food and work. The older nomadic tents made of wood and animal skins were replaced with large, lasting shelters. The people in each town were given particular task such as hunting and farming. Craftsmen made products to sell and trade. They wove fibers into fabrics, forged metals into tools, and carved wood into furniture. The Agricultural Era was a period of change that lasted into the early 1800s. This all began thousands of years earlier in Mesopotamia (Brown, 2003).
The Greeks named the area of the world's first civilization Mesopotamia, which means "the land between the rivers" or "the land between two rivers." The name Mesopotamia was suitable because Mesopotamia was situated between two rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. These rivers begin in Turkey, flow southeast, converge in southeast Iraq, and empty into the Persian Gulf (Brown, 2003).
Technology: Purpose and Uses Technology had been around for thousands of years. So it goes without saying that it has a vast field of uses. From using stones to make weapons and tools to using a touch screen tablet to surf the Internet, the uses for technology are virtually endless.
Why did people become so innovative with technology? One could say that the world before technology might have been rather boring and frustrating. For this reason, people have been demanding new possessions and techniques to make their lives more easy and enjoyable. When technology started to advance, people could see how beneficial it was to put it to use. After awhile, the demand for better possessions and methods began to increase, therefore forcing people to become much more groundbreaking and innovative when it came to inventing and creating.
How is technology used today? As previously mentioned, technology’s uses are endless, but there are some key uses that would make life almost miserable if technology were absent. In today’s society, we rely on dependable communication to carry out most tasks and duties. Without this communication, tasks would become more difficult and less appealing. Some would argue that in a way, technology is forcing mankind to become lazy and complacent. Since technology makes almost everything easier and causes people to make less effort to complete or achieve something, that statement is partly true. Technology in computers is another major factor that plays into our society. The World Wide Web has initiated a very significant boom in the technology industry. This boom has not slowed down since it has begun in the late 1990s. According to Carroll (2005), “Overall, 88.9% of all households owned a personal computer, and 81.4% of all households had Internet access.” That fact is a very good indicator that the Internet is and will be a huge part of technological history. Another good example of the use of technology is college and educational use. Huffman (2011) stated, “Technology has become a fundamental component of both education and work.” With that being said, trying to imagine college without the use of technology seems like a very unrealistic and a somewhat disturbing task. Technology has made it possible for a wide variety of young and older adults to complete their education goals. This is achievable mostly through Internet courses, which make life much easier and these courses much more accessible. The truth of the matter is, if society was all of a sudden ridded of technology, the world as it is known today would come to an abrupt halt and many people would not know what to do. Technology can be looked at many ways. Whether you see it as giving people a reason to be lazy, or you see it as an industry that needs to keep advancing, it is here to stay. The fact is that without technology, the world would not be as great as it is. Even the people who claim that technology is causing people to be lazy are guilty of taking advantage of technology. So, get used to technology and welcome the advancements it has to offer.

References

Backer, P. (2005). Introduction History of Technology. Retrieved from http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/pabacker/history/introduction.htm
Brown, H.D. (2003). Mesopotamia and Technology. Retrieved from http://www.nlcs.k12.in.us/oljrhi/brown/mesopotamia/meso.htm
Carroll, A.E. (2005). Household computer and Internet access: The digital divide in a pediatric clinic population. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1560660/ Huffman, W.H. (2011). Beyond basic study skills: The use of technology for success in college. Retrieved from https://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/detail?vid=2&hid=102&sid=3e65af74-1f9e-4507-8aad8b2e2d642dc8%40sessionmgr115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=edselp&AN=S0747563211002482
What is Technology Education?. (1999). Retrieved from http://www.pa.ash.org.au/tefa/wite.html
Wijaya, E. (2009). The Importance of Technology in Our Daily Lives. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Eric_Wijaya